Brian Ray Click for Caption

Together, they are a dominant distance duo.

And finally, they're both healthy.

Nelle Trefz and Jennie Funk have begun their final track season together at Iowa City High. Together, from a distance. While Funk was enjoying a spring-break foreign-language trip to Europe, Trefz was running at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet Monday at the UNI-Dome.

It's impossible to imagine one without the other.

"It's not just Jennie, and it's not just Nelle. It's Jennie and Nelle. That's how they're going to be remembered here," said Terry Coleman, girls' track coach at City High. "To have one girl of this caliber is amazing. To have two at the same time, it's bloody remarkable."

To have them both in tip-top shape, it's frightening.

Trefz tore a hamstring muscle as a sophomore, and didn't get back to full strength until last year's track season. She promptly won three events -- the 1,500 and 3,000 meters, as well as the 3,200-meter relay.

Funk battled hip-flexor problems, as well as a stress fracture, last year. She still managed to finish second to Trefz in the 3,000, and ran on the 3,200-meter relay. But she wasn't quite herself.

"This is the first time they've both been totally healthy since their freshman year," Coleman said.

They are different people, different runners. But they'll always be lumped together.

"That's good," Trefz said. "Jennie's someone who wears her heart on her sleeve. I hold things a little closer to my chest. Jennie's stamina makes her a great long-distance runner. My speed makes me pretty good at the shorter events."

Coleman projects Funk as a 3,000- and 5,000-meter runner in college, and Trefz as an 800 and 1,500 specialist.

Both have secured college scholarships at Big East Conference schools. Funk will run at Georgetown, Trefz at Providence.

As good as they are athletically, their academic achievement is just as striking. Both carry a grade point average of 4.0, and both are musically gifted -- Trefz plays the bass; Funk, the French horn. Speak to either, and their mental aptitude is obvious.

Funk started her career at West Des Moines Valley, where she ran to second place in the state cross country meet as a freshman. She moved to Iowa City before her freshman track season.

The duo led the Little Hawks to a pair of state cross country crowns, in 2002 and 2003. Trefz and Funk finished second and third last fall.

Funk was a four-time top-five finisher.

City High owns the last two big-school state titles in girls' track, and last year's team set a record for points at the state meet (82). Trefz owns four state track titles, Funk two. On the other hand, Funk has tallied 38 career points at state track meets, compared to 32 for Trefz.

They also shared an embarrassing experience at Drake Stadium in 2001.

"We were so clueless when we were freshmen," Trefz said. "We were in the Drake Field House, and neither of us could find the stadium. We went out the wrong door and started walking down the street the wrong way. Somebody had to find us and lead us in the right direction."

So who's better? Depends on who's healthy. Now, they both are.

"The thing with Jennie and me, I think we've helped improve each other's weaknesses," Trefz said. "When one of us is tired, the other will pick up the pace."

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